Finding Faith
by Lupa Lionsheart
Summary: There's a new kid in Spooksville, but who is he? And how does Ann Templeton know him? Xover Spooksville HP ex-Soldier/Powerful!Harry. Please R&R
1. Prologue

**Alright, first try at fanfiction, be nice please =)**

**This is just a teaser/prologue for a story that has been floating around my head for a while. I have not written up very much of it, nor do I have any definite plans for a plot. I also can't give any guarentees as to posting time. I'm busy, and while I write as much as I can, I often edit my works multiple times.**

**I'm not extremely well versed with the Spooksville series, so if you spy any inconsistencies or errors please let me know, I haven't read all of them and while I will look for the few I own, I'm not all that confident.**

**There may be some spoilers for various books, though I don't expect anything too earth-shattering.**

**I know this is pretty short, but I can pretty much promise that the next will be longer.**

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><p>"Next stop, Springville. This where you're gettin' off, kid?"<p>

Harry glanced up from the book in his lap, gracing the middle-aged driver with a slight smile "Yes, thank you."

Apparently taking the polite answer as an excuse to continue, the man glanced back in the mirror at the raven haired teen "Don't get many visitors 'round here, where're your folks?"

"I'm moving, and Springville just seemed to be a good fit. My parents will be following shortly." Harry replied easily, and the driver bought the casual lie instantly.

"Ah, now look out the front window here kid, town's comin' up." The man gestured vaguely in front of them as the trees started to thin.

Curious in spite of himself, the wizard leaned forward slightly in his seat, brilliant emerald eyes catching a first glimpse of his new home.

It was...picturesque, for lack of a better word, yet even on the outskirts of the town Harry could feel the latent magical power coiling over his skin. In other words it was perfect for him; he could live in peace far from the eyes of the wizarding world. The town was small enough to retain an almost cozy feel, and was practically soaked with magic, which would in exchange strengthen his own magic.

Travelling past small, quaint houses and heading towards the center of the town, the bus barely slowed as the stop came into view. As it pulled over at a small overhang in front of what looked to be the bank Harry grabbed his backpack and took a few steps to the top of the steps, retaining his balance perfectly even as the bus stopped rather abruptly.

Nodding in response to the exuberant farewell of the driver, he stepped down onto the street, gaze flickering along each face nearby, assessing threats even as he slung his backpack over a shoulder and started off towards a realtor he had seen from the bus.

A few minutes later he was pushing open the door of a small, but meticulously organized office, forming his face into a pleasant expression as a woman at a desk glanced up.

Smiling slightly at her apparent surprise upon seeing a new face he approached "Hello."

"What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking to buy a house."


	2. Chapter 1

**Many thanks to those who reviewed/alerted =)**

**So here is the first official chapter, hopefully some things will be explained.**

**From what I can tell in the books the gang is twelve to thirteen years old, so I'm making them older~**

**The sections in italics are flashbacks, by the way.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or Spooksville.**

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><p><em>Harry stood, shoulders slumping slightly in exhaustion as he gazed out over the remains of Hogwarts. All that was left of the great school was a massive pile of rubble. Bodies were strewn along the ground, and the silence was deafening, so different from the screams that had pierced the air not an hour before. A light rain had begun to fall from darkened skies, fitting, as Harry thought, the place of the final battle between his forces and those of Voldemort.<em>

_The Dark Lord himself was sprawled in the mud in front of him, throat gashed open from a Sectumsempra, blood covering the front of the wizard's robes. Brilliant green eyes dulled from the trials of war, he stared down at the corpse of his vanquished enemy, not moving even as he sensed movement behind him._

"_Harry?"_

_The voice was gentle, concerned, but held just as much weariness as the person in question as a warm, slightly calloused hand slipped into his own, applying enough pressure to gently turn Harry away from the gruesome sight. _

"_Hermione."_

_His best friend lifted her hand to his face, pushing away a tangled and dirty fringe of hair to examine a bloody gash along his hairline._

"_We need to get this looked at."_

_Harry snorted, the noise dissolving into coughs "I'm fine."_

"_You don't look it. Or sound it."_

_Harry just sighed, not protesting as Hermione began tugging him away from the battlefield, both limping._

_By the time they reached the hastily erected medical tent they were leaning against each other, barely making it inside before the numerous wounds each sported overwhelmed them._

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><p><span>One year later<span>

"_What? You can't possibly-"_

"_I can and I have."_

_Harry was standing in the new headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, staring down an incredulous werewolf and unhappy Dumbledore while the few remaining members ranged throughout the room, watching._

"_Dumbledore, Remus, there's nothing left that I need to do. I'm tired, and all of the hero-worship I'm getting isn't helping. Voldemort is dead, the Death Eaters have fallen, the war is over. I'm emancipated now, I can take care of myself." Harry explained matter-of-factly, holding up a hand as Lupin opened his mouth to protest "Listen. I'm leaving. There's too much here for me now...too many memories, I need to start over."_

"_Cub..."_

"_I'll keep Hedwig with me, really, it's not like I'm never going to write."_

_Dumbledore chose this point to step in, voice calm and grandfatherly as ever "Are you sure, Harry?"_

"_Quite"_

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><p>Harry smiled, peering up at the loft even as the realtor prattled on. "-is a living space above the shop, rather small, but it has all of the necessities. If you do buy it though, are you aware that if someone decides to open the sho-"<p>

"That won't be a problem. I'll be buying the shop as well."

Now that got him a stare, so he continued "I assure you, ma'am, I know what I'm doing."

"Er, well then, if you're sure..." Harry nodded and she continued "I'll get the papers drawn up; you will need to sign several forms."

"Very well."

It was several hours later when Harry stepped out of the Realtors office, clutching a stack of papers proclaiming him the new owner of the small store and loft, as well as a permit for the shop.

It was hot out, and almost stiflingly humid as he walked back along the streets, ignoring the occasional stares even as his hand slipped into his pocket to grip the cool wood of his wand. The walk provided a nice time to think, and he ran over things he would need to do to get himself settled into the town. School was, unfortunately, a necessity if he didn't want to draw attention to himself. There was so much to do, so much to keep him busy, perhaps it would be possible to find some peace, far from renegade Death Eaters and adoring crowds, where he could just be Harry Black, not Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived.

He arrived back at his newly purchased home without too much trouble, having only lost his way once. Stepping inside he promptly sneezed, senses temporarily overwhelmed by the layers of dust covering everything. Glancing warily behind him, he pulled out his wand to mutter "Tergeo." Then immediately cast a wandless charm, using his previous spell to disguise it, _Homenum Revelio. _

No presence was revealed, and he relaxed slightly, slipping his wand back into the holster. Venturing upstairs he repeated the cleaning spell and dropped his backpack onto the bare floor in what he assumed was meant to be the bedroom. Dropping down next to it he finally opened it, pulling out his trunk, which he had shrunk, and with a wave of his wand returned it to it's original size. That done he quickly opened it and sorted through his few belongings. He had tossed a few materials into a bag before leaving Britain, almost as an afterthought, but now he was glad for it. Finding the bag, he pulled a few things out and resized them before transfiguring them into what he needed.

Almost as an afterthought he added a simple mirror along the hallway, having decided that it would match the rest of the transfigured decor. Pausing, he caught a glimpse of himself for the first time in a long while. His pure black hair fell a few inches past his shoulders, appearing just as tousled and untamable as always. His emerald eyes were still that unearthly green, and had regained some of the sparkle that had vanished during the war. Unfortunately, his height hadn't increased much over the past years, leaving him at five foot ten inches; it was a fact Ron often teased him about, as the redhead had shot above six foot a while ago. The faint outline of a scar over one of his eyes was the only one save his infamous lightning bolt that was currently visible, and while his skin had recently paled, it still retained a slight hue from hours in the sun.

After furnishing the loft he sat on his newly transfigured bed to relax for a few seconds, before a sharp tapping on the window drew his attention. Walking over, a delighted grin lit up his face, and he opened it only to have a white blur shoot in and peck him on the head "Ow! Hedwig...bloody bird." He complained, nevertheless giving the owl an affectionate pat.

After calming his familiar he headed back downstairs into what was to become the shop, levitating several boxes of books and items he was planning on selling as he filled his owl in on what his plans were. Dropping the boxes on and around the main counter he quickly transfigured a stand for Hedwig, which the owl soon took advantage of. Letting out a soft hoot of approval she peered around the room as Harry swept his hair into a messy ponytail before getting to work.

After fashioning a sign of sorts, he paused for long enough to hang it in the window before setting out to stock the shelves. The first shelf was the perfect size for the books he had brought, and so he dragged the correct boxes over and began to set them up, organizing them almost without a thought.

All too soon though the work was done, and he had worked into the evening. Straightening from his kneeling position on the floor he quirked an eyebrow in faint surprise as he saw the darkening sky outside of his window, before chuckling lightly. Seemed like the change in scenery was already doing him some good; he couldn't remember the last time he had been able to focus completely on a task without needing to worry about raids or attacks.

Not yet tired enough to justify heading upstairs for some rest, he headed for the door, Hedwig flapping over to perch on his shoulder before flapping off on her own to hunt as Harry meandered down the street. The numbers of people walking to and fro had diminished considerably in the time he had been working, and now only a few were out and about.

Determined to get some exploring done before he returned to the loft he set off down a side street, eventually emerging onto a larger street lined with small shops not unlike his own, including what looked like a grocery store. Running through an inventory of the food he had brought with him, Harry didn't need much of an excuse to pause in front of the store before entering.

Only planning on grabbing a few necessities he didn't bother to pick up a basket, heading instead for the aisle that most likely held bread. There was only one other person in the aisle besides him, a petite blond about his age. After a cursory glance he turned his back, essentially ignoring her as he poked through the different brands and types of bread.

Even with his back turned though, he could still hear her muttering to herself about cereal- something about how each person in her family liked a different kind.

Harry had just turned to leave the aisle when the girl's words cut off with a sharp gasp and yelp, and he turned to see her careening backwards for no apparent reason. Eyes widening slightly he took in the situation within a few milliseconds, already determined to do something as the girl's head was heading right for the edge of the lowest shelf.

Drawing up his magic, he felt it swell around him, caressing him almost lovingly before a silent spell and wave of the hand caught the girl, at least until he had gotten to her side and replaced the magical support with physical. Still supporting her, he shifted into a kneeling position, a few stands of hair escaped his ponytail to hang into his face as he directed a light smile at her "Are you alright?" Best to try to distract her in case she noticed that he had been too far away to grab her when his magic had acted.

She stared up at him, mouth opening soundlessly for a few seconds. Eyes wide with shock, Harry had just about convinced himself that she was going to faint before she recovered "Ah, y-yes, thank you." She thanked him again as he helped her up, taking a couple steps back once he was sure she wasn't going to keel over again.

"Not a problem," He replied with a smile, stiffening almost imperceptibly as the girl stared at him, feeling distinctly uncomfortable with the scrutiny. It was just too much like the stares and stalking back in Britain. He repressed a shudder as he remembered the mobs of people just following him around, almost missing the girl's next words.

"Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around," She paused, apparently still thinking, before brightening "I'm Cindy."

He chuckled "Correct, I just moved into a house nearby." he answered "Harry Black, pleasure."

"Nearby? Really? I didn't know there was any place for sale besides that old run down shop and loft..."

"Actually, that_ is_ the one I bought." Harry admitted, grinning at her expression.

"Wha-? I thought that place was inhabitable...Oh, well," Something seemed to occur to her "But what about the shop?"

"Bought that too, I plan to open it as well."

"Cool, what are you going to sell?" She had taken the news unexpectedly well, after all, how common was it for someone his age to be opening a shop?

"Odd trinkets and antiques mostly, but some books as well." He shrugged, spying a jar of peanut butter and grabbing it "It'll be a good way to occupy my time before school."

"Nice, what grade will you be going into?

"I'll be a- what are they called? Elder?" Harry frowned a bit, thinking.

"Senior?" Cindy giggled.

"Aye, that'll be the one." He grinned in response.

"Maybe we'll be in some of the same classes then, my friends and I'll be seniors too."

They continued to chat as they walked back through the aisle, the blond picking out a few things as they moved to the register to pay before walking out together.

"Well, I'll be heading this way," Cindy began, and Harry nodded "I'll see you around then, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"Same here, bye!"

Grinning to himself, Harry walked off in the other direction, enjoying the darkening sky and relative silence permeating the town. He took his time, and by the time he reached the shop it was almost completely black out. A soft hoot caught his attention as he opened the door, and he held it open for the large owl to sail through before entering himself and locking the door behind him with a quick spell.

"Come on girl." he called softly to the familiar, before heading up the stairs to change and hopefully get some sleep. Hedwig fluttered ahead of him, landing on a stand to watch him as he flopped onto the bed, not bothering to slip under the covers as he slowed his breathing and tried to get some rest.

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><p><strong>Reviews make me happy, which happens to inspire me to write more~<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**Many thanks to those who reviewed (especially 917brat, who reviewed twice), it makes me happy =) **

**As for the story, there will be a three week time jump, right to the first day of school and I might start weaving my plot. Cindy is still the only kid Harry has met.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or Spooksville**

**This chapter took a bit longer than I expected (FF was stupid and I ended up losing about 2k of work right before I was about to finish up the ending =( so that's the reason if the chapter seems kinda curt after a bit, 'cause I was ticked about needing to rewrite it and couldn't get it to flow the same way. It was a lot longer~) , but I've got the next couple chapters planned out, so I'm anticipating another update before finals drag me away from the computer to study. I've also been bombarded with some plot bunnies for a couple LOTR and HP crossovers~ I'll stick the summaries at the end of the chapter, and I'd love to get some feedback on them ;D**

**Yay, a question~ xD**

**I consider Ann and Harry to be at about the same level of power with a few differences. I think of Ann to have somewhat better magical precision and control, as well as having a wealth of knowledge that comes with her age. Harry would have more destructive power and more stamina than Ann, but his knowledge would be more based on fighting, and would not know as much as Ann, who has lived far longer than him.**

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><p>Harry woke to a sharp rap between his eyes.<p>

Magic flaring instinctively, his wand was in his hand even as a soft hoot let him know that he wasn't being attacked. Groaning, Harry rolled over onto his side "Merlin Hedwig...Why'd you wake me up?"

Intelligent amber eyes met his own, the owl perched far enough away from him so that when he shot up with a curse his familiar wasn't hit. "Damn it, school." he hissed, springing out of his bed in one fluid motion to haphazardly toss on the first clothes he could get his hands on before opening a window for Hedwig and loping down the stairs and out the door, locking it behind him.

It was only a few minute jog to the school, and he approached the quaint-looking building just as the students milling around in front began to filter in through the doors. Dodging a few curious stares he made his way up the front steps and paused just inside, glancing around for the office. Spying a sign labeling a room as such, he made his way forward, dodging the occasional student to enter.

A brief chat with the secretary later he had his schedule and a map in the school, though he only gave it a cursory glance before shoving it into his pocket. He had plenty of time to get to his first class and wasn't about to make a scene charging about like an enraged death eater.

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><p>Three hours later he could be found meandering along with the general flow of students towards the cafeteria for lunch, still mulling over just what had possessed him to enroll in a school (actually it was more like why he had decided to take some of the easier classes) when he already knew much of what was being taught- his almost obsessive studying after the war had not only served as a distraction but had also succeeded in drumming most of the information taught in muggle schools into his head.<p>

It didn't help that he seemed to be the talk of the school; Merlin forbid that he would ever be able to get some peace from the inane questions directed at him. Honestly, who cared about how he preferred a nice cup of tea to coffee?

He was planning on grabbing an apple or something to eat before retreating to the farthest corner he could, but as he snagged one of the fresher-looking apples and a bottle of water a familiar blond caught his eye and waved energetically until he acknowledged her. Sighing, but finding himself hard pressed to summon up any irritation aimed at the sincere muggle, he carried his newly purchased lunch over to the table she was sitting at.

The table looked like it could hold about ten people, and currently five aside from himself and Cindy were sitting there, casting curious looks in his direction as the blond grabbed his hand and gently but insistently tugged him over to sit next to her. Regaining his bearings he spent a few seconds just studying his new companions, relatively confident that his scrutiny would be assumed to be the curiosity of a new kid in a new school.

A brunette boy with equally brown eyes was sitting next to Cindy, sizing him up with a friendly look, and on the other side of the table sat a somewhat stocky boy with black hair- Harry noted the rather odd fact that he was wearing several different watches- and a slender brown-haired girl with a no-nonsense air about her. To their side was a pair of girls, one a brunette and the other blond- both however, seemed rather false to Harry, there was just something he didn't like much about them.

"I assume these would be your friends?" He guessed, and was rewarded with a brilliant smile as Cindy beamed at him, before quickly pointing out the other occupants of the table in turn "Yep! This here's Adam, Sally, Watch, Alice, and Mary." she said, pointing to each as Harry nodded politely in greeting.

"Man, it's been a while since someone new moved in." Adam, the brunette, revealed with a smile "Cindy and I were the last ones, and that was years ago."

Sally gave him a reserved, but nevertheless friendly nod "Welcome to Spooksville." she said, earning a slightly arched eyebrow from the wizard.

"Spooksville?"

The stocky boy, Watch, was the one who answered "Our town is somewhat notorious for ghost stories- many think they're true." he explained, blinking at him through a thick pair of glasses as a slight smile tugged at the corner of Harry's mouth as he understood.

"That doesn't creep you out even a little bit?" Cindy asked "I was a little freaked at first."

"Nah, I'm not one to jump at imagined threats." Harry replied with a shrug, setting his apple down to open up the water bottle and take a swig, missing the thoughtful expression that flashed briefly over Watch's face at his phrasing.

Thankfully the conversation eventually turned away from him as one of the girls- Mary- began complaining about trivial things, generally being a bore in Harry's opinion. Something told him he really wasn't going to like this girl very much, at least Alice seemed less fickle. He ended up tuning her out until she moved on from teachers and homework to a new target.

"-so stupid. I mean, they like expect me to eat dinner with them _every _night, and they drag me out of my room to play some stupid games with them, like, every day. They, like, won't leave me alone, and are just so totally lame, it's like, _duh, _leave me alone, I have better things to do with my time. I wish they'd get off my back and go die or something." Mary finally paused for breath, oblivious to Harry's darkening expression.

She seemed ready to continue, but a prod and whispered 'shut up' from Alice drew her attention to the glowering wizard. With a 'meep' expression, she shrunk back in her seat even as the table grew quiet, all eyes on the furious boy.

"Of all the-" he had to pause to control himself, hand tightly gripping his apple. "Ungrateful, and spiteful things." He hissed "You should be glad your parents bothered to raise you and love you instead of dumping you on the street. You should be grateful to have parents at all!" he snarled, standing abrubtly and leveling the full force of his glare on the offending girl "You sicken me." he spat, before turning sharply and walking resolutely out of the cafeteria, ignoring the curious stares following him. His lunch still sat on the table, abandoned.

As he stalked through the empty halls he slowly began to calm as a combination of distance from the infuriating girl and the calming presence of his familiar in the back of his mind soothed him. He vaguely recalled being told that today being the first day of school classes would be let out after lunch. All the better, as he wouldn't be missed.

Pushing open the main doors of the school he moved away from the grounds at a steady, ground-eating lope. Feeling too agitated to deal with people just yet, he didn't return to his loft, instead walking past it, and out of town, aiming for the mountains he could see ahead of him. He needed some time to cool down.

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><p>Back inside the cafeteria, the lunch table remained quiet for at least ten seconds after Harry had stormed out, all in varying states of shock. Watch was the first to recover, reaching out to pick up the apple Harry had left to study it.<p>

Almost perfectly imprinted in the red apple was a recognizable print from the furious wizard's grip. An eyebrow arched as theories and questions whirled around in his head.

Alice's sharp voice pulled him out of his thoughts "Way to go, Mary, he's gonna hate us now." Everyone glanced over at the two to see Alice's glare and Mary's defensive expression. "_He's going to hate us now?_ He just embarassed me in front of everybody! Ugh..." Now it was Mary's turn to stand up and leave, mutting about how no one understood her. Rolling her eyes, Alice rose to follow.

Used to such outbursts from Mary, only a few seconds passed before Cindy spoke up "Will he be alright? I mean, this _is _Spooksville, what if a ghoul or something attacks?" She sounded worried, and Adam hastened to sooth her.

"After we're released for the day we can look for him, make sure he's alright." he reassured her, and even Sally nodded in agreement.

Watch merely nodded absently, pensive gaze returning to the handprinted apple.  
>"Curious..."<p>

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><p><strong>So?<strong>

**I tried to portray Mary as kinda a stuck-up brat, I hope I did xD**

**And here's the LOTR and HP crossover summaries =) Please let me know what you think (And if you think you have a name for one/both of them please let me know; I have issues naming my fics ^^)**

**A) Ostracized and hated for his Animagus form, a betrayed and injured Harry is exiled after the defeat of Voldemort. Tossed from the wozarding world, he soon finds himself in another, and in the midst of yet another war.**

**B) When Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter and raised his wand against Harry, his killing curse rebounded and overloaded a nearby magical artifact, resulting in an explosion that sends a baby Harry into Middle Earth, and into the hands of Dark Elves to be raised as one of them.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Erm, hi there, remember me? |D I feel like it's been a while. So here's a longer chapter~**

**So yeah, finals snuck up on me sooner than I expected, but I'm still alive and I (kinda?) have a plot bunny for Finding Faith roaming about in my head, not sure when I'll begin it though~**

**Again, muchas gracias to those who reviewed/favorited/alerted/etc. It makes me smile to look at my email and see it full of alerts for that~**

**On another note I have decided to start typing up the HPxLOTR plots I mentioned in the previous chapter (Thanks to Taboo22 for the opinion =)), starting with the first, 'cause I have more typed out right now. I'll be posting the prologue soon~ I'll get to both eventually, but for now I'm going to focus on Finding Faith and Lanterns.**

**Named the HpxLOTR fic Lanterns after the song by Rise Against by the way, you should check it out. Good song ^-^**

**Disclaimer: Don't own HP or Spooksville**

**There's some blood in this chapter, so be warned ;)**

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><p>Harry had decided that he rather liked the reservoir. The still water had an almost ominous aura, but it was nothing compared to some of the dark artifacts he had come across during the war, and didn't bother him in the slightest.<p>

It was much quieter up on the hillside where the lake of water was, almost eerily so, but it really didn't surprise him much. It would be odd if a town with so much latent magical energy _didn't_ become home to a number of abnormal or magical creatures, and he could take care of himself. After all, he had taken on the Dark Lord and won, some random grindylow wouldn't be much of a challenge.

He yawned and stretched out, flopping down onto his back to stretch his hands above his head. He felt better after his little outburst already. Granted it had taken him practically sprinting up here to tire himself out enough to calm down.

In hindsight, it probably hadn't been the best idea to storm out of the school, but he hadn't wanted to unleash a display of his notorious accidental magic, which he still hadn't gotten the best handle on even after the war. It wasn't like he could do anything about it now though. He'd come up with some excuse later.

On the plus side he had found this place though, he could see himself coming back again to relax.

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><p>"Come on guys, let's go." Cindy said, anxiously twisting a lock of hair around her fingers. Adam nodded as he led the way down the front steps.<p>

"Someone has gotten a little attached to our new resident," Sally teased, nevertheless keeping up with the small group as they walked towards the road "Do I sense a crush developing?"

The blonde in question snorted "It's called kindness, not that you would know." she retorted "He doesn't know what's out there."

"Guys, come on." Adam sighed, exchanging a look with Watch and starting off again, forcing the bickering girls to catch up lest they be left behind.

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><p>By the time the group had reached the edge of the trees and started up a hill, not really aiming for any destination in particular, Sally and Cindy had finally stopped growling at each other and focused on figuring out where Harry had gone.<p>

It was Watch that suggested that they head up towards the reservoir, as the man-made lake wasn't hard to see, jutting out from the hillside. It made more sense than anything the others could come up with, so they began the trek up the incline.

They were only a few minutes walk from the reservoir when a low grow emanated from the thick brush surrounding them and they paused, hefting the makeshift weapons that they had grabbed before setting out. Bats, while crude, could be quite effective in a pinch.

Moving quickly when the growl multiplied into several snarls, the group ranged out in a ragged circle, protecting each others' backs even as they prepared for what lurked in the dark shrubs surrounding them.

All jumped when the first dogs leapt into the small clearing they were in, blinking in shock at the domestic animals before a smaller breed lunged at Watch only to be slammed to the side with a hit from the bat he was carrying.

As more dogs came into the light Cindy gasped "Oh my gosh, that's Mrs. Brindwell's dog, Brandy." Adam, who was closest, glanced over "She said he ran away right?"

Watch spoke slowly, as if thinking through his words even as he was speaking them "All of these dogs vanished over the last few weeks...No one ever found a sign of them."

"Well they're sure as hell not happy to see us." Sally commented dryly "I'd suggest saving our skins rather than having a little brainstorming session over where the dang things went. They're here now."

As she spoke another dog lunged, only to be followed by several more. They were beaten back- barely- but the entire small group was watching the rest of the dogs warily. Some of the animals were massive and would be harder to fend off than a smaller dog. Several of the ones that had already attacked were lying, unmoving, on the ground.

As they watched one of the dogs let out a howl and leapt at the space between Adam and Watch, eyes crazed with fury. The others had fallen back for the moment, ranks thinned but nevertheless a worry.

Glancing at each other, the two boys swung their bats in unison, slamming the dog back with their united strength only to have a small chihuahua latch needle sharp teeth onto Adam's arm. The boy let out a yell and flung the dog, tearing it's fangs out of his arm to cradle the bloody appendage to his chest as he panted, teeth gritted against the pain.

"Adam!" Cindy cried out, going to turn before a shout from Sally had her turning around and barely fending off another dog. The blond, always one of the more peaceful of the group, was shaking, barely restraining tears as she beat down dogs that she had patted and played with.

For all of their uncommon skills, it was taking too long, and- lacking real training- they were tiring quickly. Arms were shaky with the repeated use of the bats, and all were at least a little upset by their attackers. Adrenaline and desperation were fueling them now.

The largest dog there, a massive saint bernard with ominously bloody jowls, stalked forward to pace around their circle until, with a suddenness that startled all four, it lunged with jaws reaching for Cindy. Adam, Sally, and Watch all yelled out in unison and turned to try to reach her, but even as they ran Watch grimaced, not wanting to admit that they would get there too late.

All of their steps faltered as a dark blur shot out of the bushes and slammed into the dog's side, a snarl of its own ripping out of its throat.

Apparently intimidated by the scent of the newcomer, the few dogs remaining backed away to flee, all save the saint bernard.

The two animals were rolling over each other, snaps and snarls emerging from the two as they tussled only to break apart, the dark newcomer relatively unscathed compared to his opponent.

Skidding to a stop next to Cindy, the four stared at the wolf bristling before them. It was even bigger than the dog it was facing, with an extremely dark brown coat that could easily be mistaken for black, the dark brown fading to a more russet brown color on his legs. His tail and nose were tipped in the reddish brown as well. It was facing away from them, and they could only watch as the wolf took an aggressive step forward, before lunging at the dog again.

Blood flew, spattering across the attacking wolf as jaws found the crazed dog's throat and clamped down, silencing the howls that the beast had been giving off as its windpipe was brutally crushed. A few quick jerks ensured that it would never rise again. Turning, the wolf pinned the group with unnaturally intelligent green eyes, before turning and bolting into the brush to vanish.

From the wolf's appearance to its vanishing, only a minute or so had passed, so as the bushes fall still again the group gathered themselves. Shakily bandaging the nasty-looking wound on Adam's arm and several other minor cuts and bruises, they stared silently at each other before Watch spoke.

"I've never heard of anything like this happening before."

"That was _weird_." Cindy commented, still messing with the makeshift bandage wrapped around Adam's arm worriedly.

"Even for Spooksville." Sally added, before frowning at the group "What are we still loafing around here for? That one mutt was already bloody, maybe they already got to Harry." She shrugged as Cindy leveled a glare at her with a 'what? I'm just saying' expression.

"Yeah, we should get going." Adam said, face drawn and pale, but determined. At his prompting the group started off for the reservoir again, though with a great deal more caution.

* * *

><p>Harry had leapt to his feet when a howl split the air, wand instantly in his grip as he stared in the direction it came from, recognizing the sound as a twisted version of the sound hounds made when cornering their prey. Had someone followed him only to be ambushed by the denizens of the forest?<p>

Sighing, he stowed his wand back in it's holster and stepped forward. Bones shifted and changed as his form melted into that of a wolf, his animagus form. Shaking himself, he lifted his nose to the wind and bounded off into the trees and brush. No one was going to get hurt or die if he could help it.

An ear flicked as he caught a fresh scent of some of the group he had spent his short lunch with, and he stepped out of the bushes just in time to see a massive dog lunge at Cindy. Lips curling back over his fangs he sprang forward, barreling into the dog's side and wrinkling his nose at the sickly and rusty scent the animal carried.

The beast proved to be little of a challenge, as a well placed snap flooded his mouth with hot blood from a fatal wound, though he didn't release his grip until after the death throes had ended. Turning slightly, he took a few seconds to study the small group now staring at him in shock, before spinning to vanish back into the bushes, where he ranged about, scaring away some of the braver dogs that had stuck around.

He ran silently and invisibly alongside the four as they started off after a short conversation, ensuring that no further harm would come to them before he moved off to outpace them. It wouldn't do for them to beat him to the reservoir, after all.

Bursting from the trees, he had barely enough time to revert to his human form and duck down hear the water to wash the blood from his face and hands, drying himself with a quick spell even as he heard the bushes bordering the clearing rustle as they relinquished the group from their grasp.

Turning, he arched an eyebrow at them, smoothly falling into the part where he had not seen their rather ruffled states. "You look rather worse for wear." he observed, moving to meet them several feet from the water's edge.

"We came to see if you were alright- you ran out pretty quickly and these woods can be pretty dangerous." Cindy offered, and Harry smiled slightly.

"Which would be why you're in much worse shape, I take it." he noted, gaze focusing on Adam's arm "Here, let me see that." He said, gently grasping the offered arm to carefully unwrap the cloth surrounding it and study the gashes.

"Well, it looks like something punctured the skin and was ripped out. It shouldn't need stitches by my guess, but you should still get it checked out at the hospital."

Sally snorted at this "Here if you go to the hospital for an eye exam you walk out without a kidney." she said, crossing her arms across her chest as she watched Harry wrap the wound again.

The wizard frowned at this new tidbit of information, before sighing "I guess you can come 'round the shop then, I have the supplies needed."

"Do you even know what you're doing? This is our friend." Sally replied, glancing over at Adam, who frowned slightly at her "Yeah, and I'm not deaf or unconscious." The injured boy nodded to Harry "That would be great, thanks."

Harry nodded in response, motioning for the group to get moving on back towards the town. As they walked back he tossed back a reply over his shoulder "And while I'm not exactly legal, I've gotten into enough scrapes to know how to deal with a wound like that."

The tall girl had nothing to say to that, and so settled for keeping an eye on him as they continued down the hillside.

* * *

><p>It was about twenty minutes before the loft and shop Harry had moved into came into sight. Plucking a key out of his pocket, the wizard quickly unlocked the door and left it open for his company as he walked into the store to flick on the somewhat dim lights.<p>

Boxes were still scattered around on the floor, but much of their contents was already stacked on shelves, and the front counter was free of clutter save the floor stand for Hedwig. Motioning for the group to grab a seat, Harry vanished into a back room, sorting through a box to pull out his muggle first aid kit. Okay, so some of the salves and creams weren't on the muggle market, but there wasn't anything overtly magical in it.

Emerging from the room with kit in hand he set it onto the counter and opened it up, motioning for Adam's arm. Quickly wiping down his hands with a wipe, he unwrapped the now bloodied bandage, unfazed by the red substance as he dropped it into a container to take care of later.

Pulling out a soft and damp cloth he gently cleaned the skin around the cuts, and finally the wounds themselves. His touches were feather light, but nevertheless elicited some winces from his patient. As he worked he inquired as to what had happened, receiving a vague and evasive reply. He couldn't really blame them though; were he anyone else and had they told the truth he probably wouldn't have believed them.

"There you go." he said about seven minutes later, tying the last piece of bandage on, the entire thing looking much better now. Adam moved his arm about, nodding in satisfaction as the bandage stayed where it was.

Watch, who had wandered off to peruse the books about five minutes prior, emerged again, a couple tomes in his hands.

Harry could barely restrain a smile as he saw which the raven had found. A muggle version of _Care of Magical Creatures _(which wouldn't try to eat his arm), and _The Wizarding Wars_. He really didn't know why he had brought the latter book; it was an accurate account of the times before Voldemort had attacked him as a baby and the war where he himself fought. Personally, he thought that the author had exaggerated his accomplishments, but Hermione had practically shoved a copy on him before he left.

"Interesting selection of books." Watch commented, and Harry eyed him impassively. Let him think that they were just works of fiction, as he would likely assume. "Oddities sell well." he returned amicably, wandering around behind the counter again to rustle around underneath, making sure he could find the lockbox where he kept the store's money.

Watch shrugged, admitting the point as he pulled out his wallet.

As Harry handled the money he glanced back over at the rest of the group, standing by the door preparing to leave "I'll need another look at that arm in a day or two to check for infection." he instructed, gaze only dropping from the boy when he nodded, stern expression softening slightly "But feel free to stop by anytime." he offered, and responded to Cindy's wave with one of his own as the group headed out the door.

* * *

><p>As they walked off down the street Harry sighed, and relaxed back on the chair he had dragged behind the counter.<p>

Those dogs had been strange...Their scents, while he couldn't identify it, were _wrong_ somehow. He was positive that there hadn't been anyone controlling them, at least not at the time, and many of the animals had looked as if they had been pampered before their vanishing into the woods.

The wizard sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. Trouble just loved to find him, didn't it?

* * *

><p><strong>-stare-<strong>

**See that little button there? It wants you to click on it.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Yep, astonishingly enough, I'm still alive and typin'. :)**

**My apologies as to the ridiculous amount of time this took, but my draft did not want to finalize to my satisfaction. Nevertheless, thank you all for your reviews, follows, and favorites; they really do help to inspire me to write more and more often.**

**To those who read Lanterns as well, I've been working on my drafts of that lately, and although it may take a while as I get ready for college, an update will hopefully not be that far off.**

**On a side note, things should be getting interesting after this chapter ;)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, fools.**

**And without further ado~**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>The next day, Harry was awake before Hedwig had a chance to peck his forehead, moving quickly through his morning routine and locking up the shop and loft before heading off to school. Pulling his already rather rumpled schedule out of his pocket, he scanned through his classes. His first class was English, and so he headed off to where he recalled the classroom was located.<p>

Successfully reaching the room, he stepped inside to see he was the first one there, the other students still milling about outside to talk and gossip. Even the teacher was absent, leaving him to select a desk in the third row of desks and pull out a book.

_One Hundred and One_ _Creative Uses for Household Charms _was a surprisingly good read, and not only explained the charms within with intricate detail- as well as their original intention- but expanded upon several ways for the charms to be used in battle or other useful pursuits. Spelled to appear as a nondescript and utterly boring book, he didn't need to worry about being seen with it.

By the time the warning bell had rung several minutes later the teacher- a severe-looking woman who reminded him strongly of Professor McGonagall- had returned to settle behind her desk after a formal welcome. She struck him as rather suspicious, but he supposed that she didn't know him and on top of that he had been left unattended in her room. Hopefully she would warm up a bit once she figured out that he hadn't done anything.

A few more students filed in until the classroom was filled and the last bell rang. Cindy and Watch were two of those he recognized, though both were seated too far away to communicate. To his great displeasure, Mary had been assigned the seat right next to him, and hadn't stopped glaring since she had walked in. An eye twitching slightly, he resigned himself to an altogether unpleasant period.

Ten minutes later he was ready to hex someone. The insufferable girl had apparently taken it upon herself to terrorize him at every turn, spitefully pointing out every gap in his knowledge and doing her best to get him in trouble. It was bloody irritating, and he couldn't even take out his frustration out on her, unable to defend herself as she was.

"Now then , in an effort for us all to get to know each other better, your first project will be on your favorite childhood memories; and you will be working with partners to fuse your presentations into a cohesive powerpoint," Mrs. Dawson directed, before beginning to list off partners and giving Harry the strong impression that Fate still hated him. He had been saddled with Mary and not even the shallow girl's protests would change their teacher's mind.

Thankfully the detestable girl wasn't in any other of his classes until lunch, and even then she had apparently abandoned the table she had been sitting at the day before for another group of peers, leaving Harry to grab another bottle of water and apple before finding his previous seat with Cindy and the others.

By this time he had calmed down from the fiasco of first period, but still grimaced as Adam asked how his day was going.

"Knew almost nothing on that US quiz, and now I'm stuck with Mary for that project," was his grumbled reply.

"Yeah, that sucks," Cindy replied with a sympathetic glance, and Harry shrugged.

"S'not like I can do much about it now though," he replied, taking a bite of his apple, and the others dropped the subject to begin to eat themselves.

Lunch was beginning to wind down when Watch next spoke up "So Harry, what class do you have next?"

"Jewelry design," was the reply, and Cindy suddenly looked curious "Wait, didn't I see some necklaces in your shop?"

With a smile Harry nodded "Yep, I made those; I'm hoping the class will give me some other styles to try out."

"Wow," Cindy commented, and even Sally looked faintly impressed. Any further conversation was cut off by the bell signaling the end of the lunch period.

The next period passed with little ado, and soon the gym teachers were ushering Harry and his class out onto the tennis courts, pairing them up in teams to play matches against each other. Harry ended up paired with Sally, who had an intense expression at the idea of a competition. They went up against Adam and Mary, who hadn't become any friendlier.

Harry though inexperienced, turned out to be pretty decent at the game, only taking a few points to work out the basics and then he mostly remained up at the net to allow the more skilled Sally to handle the balls hit deeper into the court. The combination of the two of them was soon overwhelming Adam and Mary, by no fault to the boy, as his partner seemed to lack control and hit the ball out quite consistently.

It wasn't too long before they finished the shortened three-game set with Harry and Sally dominating each one. Walking up to the net, they all exchanged the customary 'good game's and shook hands. Mary however, pulled back with a sneer and stalked away towards the cart holding spare tennis balls. Hefting her racket, she picked up a ball and with a solid whack, sent the lime green object hurtling towards Harry's head.

Before any of them could blink, the wizard's hand had shot up, neatly catching the ball and thwarting Mary's attempt. The group was silent for several moments before Mary all-but growled and stalked away from the group, hands curled into fists.

A heartbeat later Cindy and Adam were asking him if he was okay, Sally adding something about not losing a decent doubles partner, and a slight frown was tugging at Watch's lips.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Harry repeated a few times, and finally the others quieted a bit for him to smile slightly "She didn't hit the ball that hard anyway."

His excuse- while rather flimsy- held up enough to keep the group from questioning him more, although Cindy still looked like she wanted to drag him off to the nurse's office.

"That was a good catch," Adam commented, and Sally let out a huff of breath that everyone else ignored. Smiling something, Harry shifted forward slightly to catch a glimpse of Adam's bandaged arm.

"Stop by the shop after school today," he suggested "I'll take another look at your arm."

"Alright," the boy replied easily, and they parted as the bell rang to get changed for their next class.

For the last period the group of four had a study hall together while Harry had Business. Settled around a relatively secluded table in the library, Sally was the one to turn their conversation to the new kid.

"He's different; I don't trust him, did you see how fast that ball was going?" she filled in the others on the incident after the tennis match. Watch nodded pensively with a slight frown "Anyone else see his apple yesterday after he stormed out?" At their negative answer he described the distinct impression of a hand that he had seen "It does not make much sense, and he also seemed to like the reservoir," he concluded.

Cindy frowned at them "Well I think you're all too suspicious- Harry's been nothing but nice to us, and look how you treat him," she scolded them, and Adam nodded in agreement "Give him a chance guys," he added.

Sally still looked reluctant, but Watch ducked his head in assent, glancing at one of the watches lining his arms. "Well, we could take him to meet Ann, see what she thinks of him," the stocky teen suggested, and Adam nodded "That could work." They all ignored Sally's disgruntled expression as the witch was mentioned.

Decision made, they continued to chat until the bell signaling the end of the school day sounded.

Harry was already back in the shop by the time they got there, puttering around in the back. As the conjured bell above the door rang, the wizard emerged to welcome the group, revealing that several chairs had been unearthed while he was unpacking, and Harry set down the box he was carrying and wiped his hands off before moving forward to where Adam was seated.

Quickly unwrapping the gauze and setting it aside to dispose of later, he lifted the teen's arm to examine the wound. "It's healing nicely and I don't see any signs of infection," he finally said, leaning back and releasing his arm to pull out a first aid kit from where he had stashed it underneath the counter, pulling out a new chunk of gauze.

He was rewrapping Adam's arm when Watch spoke up "So, we were thinking that you might like to meet a friend of ours," he offered with a slight smile, and Harry glanced up briefly before shrugging "Sure, why not? Just let me finish up a few things here and then I'm free," he replied, rising to his feet.

Leaving the rest of the group to relax a bit, Harry headed into the back room, rustling around a bit to find the box containing a few more books to arrange on the shelves, bringing it out to set on the counter and begin to unpack. He had chosen one of the boxes that he hadn't charmed to fit a great deal more than it would normally, and so when Watch peered in nothing looked unusual. Pulling out a few copies of _Properties of Common Herbs and Spices_, he arranged them in their respective places, repeating the process with the rest of the books.

"Alright then," he began, standing up from where he had been setting a few books on a low shelf "Where's this friend you'd like me to meet?"

"We can walk there," Watch replied "She lives just outside of town."

It was a pleasant walk, the group spending the time chatting about school and the like, Harry occasionally posing a question about the town, which was often answered somewhat vaguely. None of the teens wanted to scare Harry off, unaware that he would likely feel the opposite.

They could have told him this friend living in a castle though, Harry mused as he stared up at the impressive building. It even had a drawbridge, which was currently down, allowing visitors to reach the massive doors beyond. "Impressive," the wizard commented as they made their way over the bridge.

Soon grouped around the door, Watch lifted his hand towards the knocker, only for the door to be pulled open before he could do anything. A beautiful woman stood on the other side, a slight smile on her lips as she glanced over the group, before her gaze froze on Harry, expression briefly morphing into one of surprise before she regained her cool.

Harry had stopped in shock as well, staring at her for several moments before composing himself as well, and he stuck out a hand. "Name's Harry Black, pleasure to meet you," he introduced himself, gaze slightly narrowed. Internally though, he had actually been caught off guard, something that hadn't happened in a long time.

* * *

><p><em>"Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter! It's been a week since your breakup, how do you feel? Are you upset with Ginny? Why did you decide to end your relationship?"<em>

_Dozens of questions bombarded him the moment he stepped outside, the overeager reporters driving him back into Grimmauld Place more often than not as he sought some peace and quiet. The powerful wards surrounding the building kept the reporters from getting too close to the house, but that didn't stop them from literally camping out at the edges of the wards._

_With a sigh, Harry pushed through the mob of people, head ducked down as the flash of cameras nearly blinded him before he managed to get to a relatively open space to turn on his heel, apparating with a subdued crack._

_Appearing in the lesser-frequented Season Alley, he quickly cast several charms to disguise his appearance, dulling the color of his eyes and tinting his hair with red, as well as covering up his scar with some muggle makeup that he had picked up in muggle London a while back. Where spells failed to conceal his famous lightning bolt, muggle products worked quite well as long as it wasn't wiped off. _

_Identity concealed, he headed out, browsing through a few shops to pick up some items he had been needing for a while, including several books that caught his attention. It was a hot day, and by the time he had finished up in his errands in both Season and Diagon Alley he was sweating. Feeling the uncomfortable wetness of sweat on his forehead he unconsciously swiped his arm across it only to freeze as he saw the beige powder spread across his sleeve._

_Cursing underneath his breath, he flattened his hair over his scar as best he could, and resolved to hurry back to Grimmauld place before his charms wore off completely, a glance in a nearby window confirming that his hair was steadily darkening._

_He was loath to apparate back, lest the reporters hear the crack and swarm him, and the alley was too crowded to dare use his cloak, so hurrying was his only option at the moment. _

_He hadn't even gotten out of the Alley before the first witch noticed and shrieked, sending the horde down upon him. Mentally groaning, he ducked his head and sped up until he was jogging. All out running would merely attract more people, and the mob was gaining on him when a hand shot out from a doorways he was passing and dragged him through._

_His wand was immediately in his hand, tip pointed threateningly at the hooded figure that had grabbed him. His defensive stance relaxed somewhat as the form raised its hands peaceably, before reaching up to lower the hood of the cloak. She looked nothing like a death eater, and he hadn't met her before either._

_So she didn't seem like an enemy. Harry allowed his wand to lower, though he didn't go so far as to slip it back into its holster. He wasn't that trusting._

_"Easy there," the woman spoke up "You just looked like you needed a little help there."_

_"And why would you help?"_

_"I like to think that I'm not like them," she retorted._

_"Fair enough."_

_"So you're Harry Potter, hm?"_

_He gave her a deadpan look "You better not have saved me just to ask for my autograph."_

_"Oh no, nothing like that, I'm just visiting a cousin of mine. I'm not a Brit."_

_"That much was obvious by your accent."_

_"True. I'm Ann Templeton."_

_"Good to meet you, and thanks."_

_"Not a problem."_

* * *

><p>"Indeed." Ann replied, cool expression falling back into place as she placed her hand in his for a brief moment.<p>

"There must be some motive to your visit, do come in," the witch invited, stepping back away from the door to enable the group to enter.


End file.
